Windows 7 - User Folders - Change Default Location

**Brink**

How to Change the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders

Information

This will show you how to change the default C:\Users\(user-name) location of a Windows 7 user folder to move it to another location of your choice instead, and still have access to the user folder from the Start Menu location.

Tip

Moving a user folder and it's contents to be stored at another location can be handy if you wanted or needed to save hard drive space on the C: drive.

RELATED LINKS:

EXAMPLE: User Folders
NOTE: This is at the default C:\Users\(user-name) and Start Menu (shell:UsersFilesFolder) locations.

Here's How:

1. In Windows Explorer, navigate to where (ex: D: drive) you want to move the default user folder (ex: My Music) location to.

2. Create a New Folder by right clicking on a empty space in the main window there, and click on New and Folder. Name the new folder the exact same name (ex: My Music) as the user folder that you want to move there. (See screenshots below)
NOTE: The name that you type in for the new folder will be what you see as the user folder name in the Start Menu (shell:UsersFilesFolder) location when finished with all of these steps. It would be best to use the same name as the user folder to avoid confusion.

3. Close this window. (See screenshots above)

4. Open the Start Menu, and type shell:UsersFilesFolder in the search line and press enter.

5. Right click on a user folder (ex: My Music, My Documents, My Pictures, etc.....) that you want to move the default location for, and click on Properties. (See screenshot below)

6. Click on the Location tab, and Move button. (See screenshot below)

7. Navigate to the same location as in step 1 and 2 above, then select the renamed new folder (ex: My Music) and click on the Select Folder button. (See screenshot below)

8. Click on OK. (See screenshot below)

9. Click on Yes. (See screenshot below)
WARNING: If you do not click on Yes, then you will have two copies of this user folder. One at the C:\Users\(user-name) location with the contents as a normal folder now, and the other at the location you moved it to (steps 1 and 2). It is recommended that you click on YES.

10. After a few seconds when the location has been changed, the Properties window (screenshot under step 8) will then close.

11. If you check back at the C:\Users\(user-name) location (left screenshot below), you will notice that the user folder (ex: My Music) that you moved is no longer there, but is still at the Start Menu (shell:UsersFilesFolder) location. You will also notice that the folder at the location (ex: D drive) you moved the user folder to, now has the default user folder (ex: My Music) icon. (right screenshot)
NOTE: The Start Menu (shell:UsersFilesFolder) location now opens the user folder from the new location (ex: D: drive) that you moved the user folder to.

Tip

If you wanted to restore the default location of the user folder, then see: How to Restore the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders

That's it,
Shawn

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**Lee** · 07-29-2009

Brink,

Thanks, after finishing reading, I printed it to PDF. That way I can get right the first time. Good info.

**Brink** · 07-29-2009

You're most welcome Lee.

SHOGuide · 08-28-2009

You presented the exact question I was seeking, but your answer illustrates moving a sub-folder of the default user. I installed Windows 7 and provided a username, so the default folder is c:\users\user1. There is a lock icon on this folder. I want to assign this machine to jjones and want the default directory to be c:\users\jjones with all the sub-folders of music, video, documents... I changed the login to jjones(admin), thinking it would change the folders. Maybe I missed a step... Thanks!

**Brink** · 08-28-2009

Hello SHOGuide, and welcome to Seven Forums.

The only way you can change the C:\Users\(user name) folder is to create a new administrator account with a different name than the user1 and jjones that you assigned to the other account. Afterwards, copy the contents of your C:\users\user1 folders into the corresponding new account's C:\Users\(user name) folders. When everything checks out ok, you can then delete the old user account from within the new one.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

SHOGuide · 08-31-2009

Thank you! This is what I was looking for. I was hopeful that if I just changed the only Admin login from user1 to jjones that Windows would simply prompt me to rename everything that was associated with user1. After thinking about it, that would not be easy for the system to do. I'm still trying to get used to the Libraries folder structure. It has initially been confusing.

**Brink** · 08-31-2009

You're welcome SHOGuide.

If it helps any, you can think of the Libraries as a collections of shortcuts to make accessing and changing files from different locations easier to do in one location (library) instead.

churin · 09-10-2009

What is UsersFilesFolder in shell:UsersFilesFolder in Setp 3.? I thought it is Favorites when I wanted to relocate this folder but it does not seems to be so.

**Barman58** · 09-10-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by churin

What is UsersFilesFolder in shell:UsersFilesFolder in Setp 3.? I thought it is Favorites when I wanted to relocate this folder but it does not seems to be so.

The shell:UsersFilesFolder is the system identifier for the user folder which appers as the user name in the start menu or explorer.

It is the pointer to the folder c:\users\{user} in the default setup but is not as far as I am aware relocatable using the location function

churin · 09-10-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by Barman58

Quote: Originally Posted by churin

What is UsersFilesFolder in shell:UsersFilesFolder in Setp 3.? I thought it is Favorites when I wanted to relocate this folder but it does not seems to be so.

The shell:UsersFilesFolder is the system identifier for the user folder which appers as the user name in the start menu or explorer.

My question is what the UsersFilesFolder is. Whereas your answer is shell:UsersFilesFolder is ........ Please provide what goes in place of UsersFilesFolder by a spcific example.